Marquise au Chocolat—Baking Chez Moi—Tuesdays With Dorie

Marquise au Chocolat (Frozen Chocolate Mousse), Baking Chez Moi, Tuesdays With Dorie

You might not realize what this is (which is why I put it in parenthesis in easy terms) and might not even think it looks too terribly good, but let me tell you, this frozen chocolate mousse is divine!  I even kind of like the lines in it from lining my heart-shaped mold with plastic wrap and it not being perfectly smooth.  It’s rustic and heart-warming and hello, it’s frozen chocolate and it’s definitely smooth going down the hatch.

I’m so glad I buckled down and made this, though it was last minute (the weeks sure fly by, not sure how I used to do TWD way back when, when we posted weekly)!  My seven year old woke up early, early Monday morning (the middle of the night) with the stomach flu and was sick all day yesterday.  I even dragged him to the store so I could get some chocolate and cream, which was in my plans before he was sick.  It worked well for me to tell him we needed to get some Sprite and saltine crackers for his upset tummy.  We got to the store and they were out of the chocolate I needed/wanted.  SIGH. 

Never fear, we went back home and I decided I had enough of everything to quarter the recipe and make a small serving.  Then I decided it would be fun to make it and put it in heart-shaped molds (this was before I even read Dorie’s suggestion to do that if desired).  She and I, we’re so smart.  So while my son lay on the couch trying to rest and not be sick, I got out the things I needed to make the quarter recipe for this chosen delight, Marquise au Chocolate (Frozen Chocolate Mousse), from Baking Chez Moi, pages 357-359.  Don’t let seeing that it’s three pages in her book make you think it’s too much.  A lot of it is all her background about the dessert and a great photo.  This was really so easy to make!  It took a couple steps, um, most recipes do, but if you plan it out and get everything together before starting, it’s pretty simple!

I used Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips, they are dairy, nut and soy free and made with evaporated cane juice.  They taste great!  Love the fun-shaped chocolate flower that showed up in the mix here.

The chocolate and butter were melted in a double boiler.  Since I made only one-quarter of the recipe, I beat the egg yolk and sugar with my hand mixer, then added that to the cooled melted chocolate and in another small bowl beat the heavy cream.  That was folded in to the chocolate mixture, then I put it in a small heart-shaped ramekin and a small heart-shaped metal mold that I’d lined with plastic wrap. 

 I put the molds in the freezer for only about four hours (recipes says six), but since they were smaller, I thought it would be okay.  Had to taste (and photograph) it right after an early dinner.

I ate about 2/3 of this little dessert (and gave Kevin the rest), it was rich and delicious and perfectly creamy.  I’m so excited that the bigger heart is still there for me in the very near future.  This was pretty simple to divide (especially with the gram measurements).  I’m sure I’ll make this again, maybe, just maybe I’ll try it with coconut cream and honey for the sweetener.  I’m not afraid. ; )  I would like this with some raspberry coulis or fresh raspberries next time.  If I make it that way, I’ll post it with the recipe for you.  Go get Dorie’s book!

Lemon Yogurt Mousse—Healthy, Fat Free and Low Carb

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I found a great healthy, fat free, low carb, but-still-perfectly-sweet and tasty treat!  The recipe for this is in the January/February 2013 issue of Food Network Magazine.  Still trying to cut way back on sugar and eat less carbohydrates, I was happy to find this and couldn’t wait to try it out. 

I made mine even better (for me) by using nonfat Greek yogurt (the magazine suggests low-fat).  Use could use whatever Greek yogurt you like.  My favorite is the nonfat plain Fage yogurt.  This is perfectly tart and lemony and just sweet enough and although Greek yogurt is already high in protein it is kicked up even more in this mousse with egg whites. 

You can sprinkle a little crumbled shortbread cookies on it, as I did just because the recipe suggests it.

But what I like even more (and is healthier) is a little homemade granola on top.  I also put a few blueberries on one (but didn’t get a picture of it.)

Lemon Yogurt Mousse, Fat Free, Low Carb/Sugar, by Katrina, Baking and Boys! (adapted from Food Network Magazine)

2 large egg whites

1/4 cup granulated sugar (50 grams)

pinch of salt

1  1/2 cups nonfat Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon lemon juice

crumbled shortbread cookies or granola for topping (optional)

In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, whisk the egg whites, salt and sugar until the sugar is dissolved.  When the sugar has dissolved, remove the bowl from the heat and transfer the mixture to a mixer.  Beat until stiff peaks form. 

Fold in the yogurt, lemon zest and lemon juice.  Chill for a couple hours.  Makes 4 servings.  When ready to serve, put the mixture in a piping bag and pipe in to serving dishes (optional, but pretty). ;)  Serve with crumbled shortbread cookies or granola and/or blueberries or raspberries!

Can’t wait to make this again—and I’ll be using Meyer lemons next.

Julia Child’s Chocolate Mousse

Julia Child’s Chocolate Mousse (Mousseline au Chocolat)

Today is Julia Child’s 100th birthday!  Love that woman--all that she was and all that she did for the culinary world or just people who love food.  (Who doesn’t love food?)

I decided to make one of her signature dishes and naturally chose a dessert and chocolate!  You can’t just “whip up” the chocolate mousse.   After reading through the recipe, I realized and decided this was the kind of recipe where “mise en place” really was necessary.  With two different pots of simmering water on the stove, a bowl of cold water, the stand mixer ready (and used twice during the making of the mousse), as well as having all the ingredients measured and ready, I was right on track for my first mousse making ever.

Mise en place for chocolate mousse

After beating the egg yolks and sugar in the mixer until a pale yellow color of slowly dissolving ribbons were formed, I added my replacement of Grand Marnier (we don’t drink or use alcohol) using 2 ounces of Torani chocolate flavoring syrup.  I then removed 1/2 teaspoon of that and added 1/2 teaspoon of pure orange extract.  I think it was a perfect non-alcoholic substitution.

The mixture was ready for its stint in a bowl over simmering water.  I whisked it for six minutes, also taking a quick-as-I-could break to quickly wash the mixer bowl and get it ready for egg whites. 

I moved the bowl from the heat to the cold water bath and kept on whisking.  All the while on the other side of the burners I added the chocolate to the double boiler and instead of coffee (we don’t use or drink coffee either) I just used water.  Whisking egg yolks and sugar in one bowl and stirring chocolate until it was melted in another.  Thank goodness for two hands! 

I removed the yolks from the water bath and let them sit for a few minutes while I stirred the butter in to the melted chocolate a little at a time.  That resulted in a wonderfully smooth and rich chocolate mixture!

Ahhh, heavenly!

The chocolate was then poured into the egg yolk mixture and whisked together in to the beginnings of a wonderful mousse. 

Somewhere during all that, I turned on the mixer with the waiting egg whites and a pinch of salt in it.  Thank goodness the mixer got to help out with a few things or my left arm might have fallen off. ;)

s, I

Looks like there’s gold in that thar mousse (bad lighting photo moment)!  The mousse was ready for a little chillin’ in the fridge.

I decided to take part of the mousse and freeze it, because one of the biggest reasons I settled on making the chocolate mousse in honor of the late and beloved Julia Child is having seen Angie at Big Bear's Wife's Frozen Chocolate Mousse, also made in tribute to Julia.

A few hours later, the mousse was ready for its photo session.  I’m not all about how fancy my photos look (yes, I’m sure you noticed), a couple scoops of frozen mousse, which scooped beautifully, were dished up and ready for the camera.

A couple things are for sure, the mousse is delicious and it’s super rich.  A little scoop will do ya.

I do love the way it froze and that it wasn’t too hard to scoop.  This is the kind of treat I love just having a spoonful of and I’m good on a chocolate fix for at least an hour. ;) hehe

Maybe I shoulda coulda fancied it up with some whipped cream, but I just thought it didn’t really need it.  If I was having company over for some mousse, I would have done so and it for sure needs a couple raspberries on the side—but having made it just for the experience of making the recipe, it wasn’t necessary.

Here’s the recipe as I made it--

Chocolate Mousse (non-alcoholic and coffee-free), adapted from Julia Child, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!

4 large egg yolks

3/4 cup granulated sugar (150 grams)

1/4 cup (2 ounces) Torani chocolate flavoring syrup, minus 1/2 teaspoon

1/2 teaspoon pure orange extract

6 ounces semi sweet or dark chocolate (I used Ghirardelli 60%)

4 tablespoons room temperature water

6 ounces (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature

4 large egg whites

pinch of salt

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 pot of simmering water

double boiler with about 1 inch of simmering water

1 bowl of cold water

In a stand mixer, beat the egg yolks and sugar together.  Mix until it is a pale yellow color and forms slowly dissolving ribbons.  Beat in the chocolate flavoring/orange extract mixture.  Put the egg yolk mixture into a bowl that fits over the simmering water.  Set the bowl over the simmering pot and whisk it vigorously for 5-7 minutes until it is foamy and hot.

Remove the bowl from the hot water and set it into the bowl of cold water.  Whisk it for five minutes until the mixture is cool.  Take a few seconds to quickly wash the mixing bowl and get it ready to whip the egg whites. 

In the double boiler, melt the chocolate with the 4 tablespoons of water.  Once it is all melted and combined, remove it from the heat and whisk in the butter a little at a time until it is smooth and creamy.

Whisk the chocolate mixture into the egg yolk mixture. 

Turn the mixer on and beat at high speed until soft peaks are formed, also adding the pinch of salt.  Sprinkle in the one tablespoon of sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks are formed. 

Stir a little bit of the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture.  Fold in the rest of the egg whites.  Refrigerate the mousse in a covered container in the fridge for a couple hours or you can also freeze the mousse in an airtight container for 3-4-5 hours.  Serve in small dishes.

I put the mousse into a piping bag with a large tip and piped it into the dishes.  No matter how you serve it, grab and spoon and dig in!  It may seem a little daunting to some to think of all the steps to making this, but it really did help to have everything ready and there really wasn’t anything difficult about each step, a few things just took a little arm muscle, but I can assure you, it’s worth it.

Happy 100th Birthday to Julia Child!